THE ELIMINATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE HUMAN BODY WITH REFERENCE TO THE POSSIBLE CONVERSION OF CO TO CO2

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Abstract
Several normal men were each given, via the lungs, a relatively large dose of radioactive CO, mixed with about 150 ml. of ordinary CO. Thereafter the subjects breathed O2 for periods up to 1 hr., during which their expired CO2 was absorbed in soda lime. Tests of the latter for radioactivity showed that the CO oxidized to CO2 by the body under these conditions amounted to less than 0.1% (if any) of the CO currently lost from the blood. The time course of the radioactivity in three parts of the body, viz., the thigh muscles, the spleen-heart and the liver was studied by placing Geiger counters over these regions. The curves for the muscle and spleen-heart areas can be reasonably interpreted in terms of the avg. amt. of blood present in them at any given time, and the rate of blood flow. The liver curve, however, showed an unexpectedly high and prolonged initial phase, which is difficult to explain completely in such a way. The nature of the possible additional factor present in this region is discussed.

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